Pumpkin pecan granola

I've never made granola at home. But now I know why people do. I'm starting to hesitate more when it comes to buying pre-made salad dressings, croutons, granola, etc. at the store because I know I can make it homemade. And what's better? I mean, really. You know what's in it. It's fresher. It's better for you. And a good recipe helps...

Zack and I eat a lot of Greek yogurt. It's the perfect thing to dive into when I don't have much time for lunch at work. Or when I want something different from my usual (and I mean, very usual) weekday-morning cereal. And when I saw this pumpkin pecan granola recipe, I knew it was the perfect thing to spice up my yogurt. Plus, we all know I love pumpkin. No secret, right?

Now about the recipe. It comes from The Sprouted Kitchen, as did my recent Greek chicken with tzatziki. The author points out that she uses extra-virgin olive oil as a healthier alternative to melted butter to ensure that the granola turns crisp. I like that. Speaking of crisp, keep a close eye on your granola. I think I baked mine for 4-5 minutes too long and it was very golden as a result. Although, it's not too bad on the toastier side, I look forward to making a more perfectly baked batch of this granola. I did use Grade A maple syrup instead of the recommended Grade B; I wonder if this made a difference.

Pumpkin pecan granola

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

1/3 cup Grade A maple syrup

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree; whisk to combine. Add oats, pecans, and sesame seeds; stir until evenly coated. Spread mixture on a baking sheet, keeping some clusters of oats and nuts intact so that finished granola has some chunks (don't be too rough spreading). Bake granola, stirring every so often until dry and light brown in color, 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then add raisins and toss to mix. Add a little more salt if needed. Cool before storing. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

I'm still enjoying this granola. You should enjoy this granola. Cheers.

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Cookbooks just might be one of my favorite presents to receive. Especially if they are wholesome and healthy with beautiful picture spreads throughout. I can read about recipes for days, but it's those pictures that spike my appetite and make me cook after a long day at work. So. Thank you, Mom, for The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.

Today wasn't too long of a day (although, it was my first day back after a nice, long Christmas vacation). I've got some spiced quinoa cooking for tonight's dinner, so I thought I would do some blog catch-up. I still have recipes from last week to share!

I've grown to love tzatziki. Which is saying a lot. Because this girl used to not even like yogurt. Not to mention Greek yogurt. But I love it now, and that is all the matters. When you see this tzatziki, you will understand why I chose to make it. It's actually almost like a salad. Or a cucumber salsa (is there such thing...?). Whatever you prefer. Anyways, it is so cool (in a "taste" sense of the word), but so zippy as well. The combination of fresh mint and dill is fabulous. 

Furthermore, the chicken marinade, which has a lot of the same ingredients used in the tzatziki, is great. Awesome, fresh recipe that I think will be even better in the spring or summer (I want to try this chicken grilled as the recipe recommends).

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Serves 4.

Ingredients for the marinade:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 lemon, juice and zest

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness of 1/2 inch)

Mix all the ingredients together in a shallow baking dish and toss chicken breasts. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes or for several hours in the fridge.

Ingredients for the tzatziki:

2 English cucumbers

¼ red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make tzatziki, slice cucumbers in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out seeds in the center. Slice each half lengthwise into four or five long sticks, then dice. You should have about 3 cups. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cucumbers, red onion, mint, dill, and garlic. Add the yogurt, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. (Stir in yogurt and salt at last minute to prevent watery tzatziki (cucumbers release water a soon as they are mixed with salt).)

The recipe suggests grilling, but it's kind of chilly. So I simply sautéed the marinated chicken breasts in a pan and finished off in the oven until they reached an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F. Let rest and serve with a large scoop of tzatziki and some warm brown jasmine rice.

Enjoy.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Lemon yogurt cake. Barefoot Contessa. Need I say more?

I mean, seriously. Ina Garten never disappoints. She just makes good stuff. And this recipe is even greater because it doesn't have butter in it (plain yogurt and oil act as substitutes). Aside from the sugar, it's not even that horrible for you!

Sooooo. Yes. The cake looks a little brown on the outside. One might say, I got a little distracted. In other words, I was just minding my business squeezing lemons and then everything went flying, which resulted in my painstakingly hand-squeezed lemon juice being sprayed all over the kitchen counter and floor. Which in turn taught me that lemon juice is super sticky and hard to clean up. Not to mention, it's clear so you're still stepping into tacky spots the next day.

Lesson learned: don't use the backside of an ice cream scoop to press the last bit of juice out of the flesh of your lemons. You're hand just might slip, collide with your glass juice bowl, and knock it over. I usually use my thumb, but I happened to have a paper cut on it, and you know how lemon juice stings! I guess I'll just stick to old-fashioned squeezing from now on.

I'll just end with this. Despite being a little brown, this cake still tasted delightful. Light and zesty. And the glaze is perfect. Not to mention the clear pre-glaze you pour over the cake when it's still warm. It just soaks in only to enhance the incredible lemon flavor. Love.

Orange-Walnut Olive Oil Cake with Sweet Yogurt

The story: according to Power Foods, olive oil cakes are popular in Italy. They're usually made with orange-flavored liqueurs, but this recipe uses orange juice/zest instead, and it replaces the usual refined granulated sugar with brown sugar. The recipe called for dark brown sugar, which I really wish we'd had on hand, but we didn't so I used golden brown sugar instead. Definitely going to dark brown next time; I think it would give it a richer flavor and color. The cake also has finely ground walnuts in it, and plain Greek-style yogurt (sweetened with a little confectioner's sugar) on the side.

When you taste this cake, you can really pick out the orange. A bit of this is pretty much an explosion of orange and a pronounced fruity flavor, in combination with the occasional crunch of walnut. The yogurt goes perfectly. I never really thought of using yogurt as a replacement for, let's say, whipped cream. That's an idea for you health nuts out there.

Overall, this cake was different, but it really grows on you. It's moist and smooth, aside from the crushed walnuts. It's like a citrusy spice cake. I did add a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Just a touch, and I think it worked well. I probably wouldn't serve this to someone who doesn't like to "eat outside of the box," but if you like healthy alternatives and vibrant citrus flavor, then this is the cake for you. ;)